advisory committee for the boro of …...appointed committee members were chosen from a variety of...

Section 1.0 History 1.1 Mission Statement 1.2 Objectives 1.3 Timeline

Section 2.0 Neighborhoods 2.1 Objectives 2.2 Summary of Findings 2.3 Recommendations

Section 3.0 Permitted Uses 3.1 Objectives 3.2 Summary of Findings 3.3 Recommendations

Section 4.0 Building Standards 4.1 Objectives 4.2 Summary of Findings 4.3 Recommendations

Section 5.0 Streetscape 5.1 Objectives 5.2 Summary of Findings 5.3 Recommendations

Section 6.0 Impediments to Design in the Existing Ordinances 6.1 Objectives 6.2 Summary of Findings 6.3 Recommendations

Section 7.0 Parking 7.1 Objectives 7.2 Summary of Findings 7.3 Recommendations

Section 8.0. Overall Findings

ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE BORO OF BELMAR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | DECEMBER 2014

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1.0 History

On April 1, 2014, the Borough of Belmar Mayor and Council adopted Resolution 2014-65, “Cre-ating a new advisory committee for the purpose of discussing the redevelopment of Belmar”. In accordance with this resolution, the committee assumed the responsibility of

1. Assessing the current redevelopment plan, 2.Identifyingplandeficiencies, 3. Developing new ideas and improvements and 4.Finalizingandmemorializingrecommendationsinafinalreportforfuturedevelopmentof

the Borough’s downtown area.

Appointed committee members were chosen from a variety of professional, business and civic backgrounds in order to provide a diverse and multi-level approach to recognizing existing redevelopment problems and providing ultimate solutions. In alphabetical order committee members consisted of Barry DePeppe, Zack Gross, Matt Mannion, Salvatore Marchese, Jay McDermott, Dave Morin, John Palus, Dominic Paragano, Krista Sperber, Edward Windas and Steve Voelfer. Of major assistance to the committee was Borough of Belmar employee, Kelly Williams, who acted as the committee’s secretary, recording meeting minutes, establishing meeting dates, posting legal notices of public meetings and other tasks necessary to the coordination of the committee’s meetings.

Between April and December 2014, the committee met on twelve (12) different occasions, with every other meeting being open to the public. Throughout this time several guest speakers, knowledgeable in various aspects of redevelopment and art, provided valuable input for the members. These included David Roberts, a professional planner with Maser Consultants, Gail O’Reilly, an administrator, instrumental in the redevelopment of the Borough of Red Bank and Patricia Hutchinson, a professor at The College of New Jersey and member of the Belmar Arts Council. These speakers provided insight and ideas on an art component for the redevelopment project. (See attached stricken redevelopment plan)

1.1 Mission Statement

Early on, the committee members recognized the need to establish a “Mission Statement” in which to guide and provide focus throughout the redevelopment planning process. As approved by the committee members, the statement is as follows:

To review and make recommendations to Mayor and Council for Belmar’s Redevelopment Plan as they relate to the downtown area. Said recommendations are expected to be available for presentation in December 2014.

SECTION 1 | HISTORY


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1.2 Objectives

To provide a maximum level of consideration and discussion to the vast array of topics encompassinganymunicipalredevelopmentplan,thecommitteeidentifiedthoseareasitfeltwerein most need of attention to accomplish it’s goals. Each segmented topic, including Objectives, Summary of Findings and Recommendations, form the structure of the Report herein.

1. Neighborhoods / Establishment of Zones

2. Permitted Uses

3. Building Standards

4. Streetscape

5. Impediments to Design in the Existing Ordinances

6. Parking

1.3 Timeline

PursuanttoResolution2014–65afinalReportofRecommendationstobedeliveredtotheBorough of Belmar Mayor and Council by the end of December 2014.

SECTION 1 | HISTORY


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2.0 The Neighborhoods of the Belmar Downtown

Thecommitteerecommendsthat4“neighborhoods”bedefinedforthepurposeofrecognizingtheunique,diversecharacteristicsofthoseareas,andenhancingtheattractionoffoottrafficandquality of life for residents utilizing business services in those areas.

The neighborhood areas are generally bound by the rectangle between Route 35 to the West and midway between Main Street and E Street to the East, the inlet to the North and 16th Avenue to the South. The working names of each neighborhood are described below.

THE SEAPORT NEIGHBORHOOD

5th Avenue to 7th Avenue, Route 35 to the residences east of Main Street. The Seaport should reflectthewaterandBelmar’shistoryasaseasidetownandhasmoreofamarinelookandfeel.

There are one and two story buildings along Main Street. The primary businesses are dining, and retail. Residential is generally above the street level.

THE CENTRAL BUSINESS NEIGHBORHOOD

7th Avenue to 11th Avenue, from the alley east of Main Street to railroad tracks. Retail, profession-alanddining.Morediversityofstoreswouldbeencouraged.Encouragefoottraffic.Residentialisgenerally above the street level.

THE SUNSET HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD

11th Avenue to 16th Avenue, from the alley east of Main Street to railroad tracks.. Lower building heights, with a transition toward residential neighborhoods. Residential on Main Street is generally above the street level.

MARINA NEIGHBORHOOD

Route 35 to the railroad tracks, from 7th Avenue to Maclearie Park. (Commercial businesses, apartment and hotel.) Lower building structures are encouraged for future consideration, so not to further reduce the sunset views to the west.

2.1 Objectives

Designating the town into neighborhoods should give pedestrians a reason to move throughout the town – one interesting area can lead to another interesting area. Should make it pleasurable for people to move throughout the town. Mobility is key: bikes, trains, parking.

2.2 Summary of Findings

1. understanding outdoor space; 2. giving people a walkable trip (how far will people walk before getting into car); and 3. connectivity throughout the town – mobility strategies. 4. The concept that redevelopment should focus more on people rather than cars – how

people move through a space. The space needs to “seem right.”

SECTION 2 | NEIGHBORHOODS


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2.3 Recommendations

We need to do the improvements on 10th and 8th in order to really make it conducive for pedestrians to cross those intersection at Route 35. Creating a friendly access to the marina and encouraging people to walk from downtown to the inlet

Close6th.Avenueforpedestrianwalkwaytoparking.AffirmingtheJuly2011plan.

SECTION 2 | NEIGHBORHOODS

Neighborhood Designations

Figure 4: Concept Plan for Seaport Plaza & Deck. March 2012.


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3.0 Permitted uses

3.1 Objectives

Allowprofessionalsonthefirstfloor.Donotrestrictpermittedusesbutletthemarketsortitout.Address Current ordinances restricting usage.


Be concerned with what the shape of this should be and not so much the use as the market will determine that.

3.3 Recommendations

• Current language of permitted uses is too narrow • Contemplate the uses of all of Main Street. • Allow Outdoor cafes •Allowmainfloorprofessional

SECTION 3 | PERMITTED USES

Examples of buildings that have suffered long term vacancy and in need of improvement.


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4.0 Building Standards

• Vinyl siding and stucco should be discouraged on at street level• Elements (gates, empty spaces, etc) should be set back form Main Street to enhance the

aesthetics.• Provide“means”(tax,financing)to“enhance”propertiesthatareindisarray.

Take a look at the business CO requirements, and see if there is an opportunity to push toward some of the external appearance initiatives being described by this committee.

• Create a checklist for property owners/developers: Painting,soffits,guttersinplace,conditionofawningsandwindowsdisplays,etc.tobeamendedintotheroleoftheCOofficer.Inspectatturnover.

• Officesonthefirstfloor–buildintotheCOchecklistthattherebenofiles,papers,etcinthe street-front windows

• Balance between encouraging initiatives and code enforcement• Windows on street level should be cleaned up. Code enforcement could be utilized

4.1 Objectives

Leave an organic feel to the neighborhoods. Encourage people to get resources to improve their commercial properties.


Both sides of Main St. are not equal. There’s more density allowed on the west side of Main St. than the east side. It’s important to consider the residential properties and the effects of height and mass on those properties.

4.3 Recommendations

• Walking down Main Street, should be looked at like a room: the buildings are the walls, the trees are the “crown molding.” In other words, how close buildings come to street to create the right “feel” should be considered with all future development

• Improvements of exteriors at turnover. Inspection at change of tenancy• Maintenance: All Window/Signage/Awnings must be maintained.• Restrictwhat’svisiblefromwindowsatstreetlevel.(Professionaloffices:ie.stacksofboxes,

storage, etc.)• Encourage and enforce current code for maintenance standards, both interior and exterior• Establish a Mayor’s Award to encourage participation on façade improvements.

SECTION 4 | BUILDING STANDARDS


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5.0 Streetscape

5.1 Objective

Toencouragemorefoottrafficwithpeoplespendingtimeinthedowntownandrelatedareasbycreating an aesthetically pleasing and safe walking experience.


Althoughthecommitteefoundthatthedowntownareahasandcontinuestoimprove,itidentifiedseveral areas of concern that need to be addressed to accomplish the objective referenced above.

1.Parking-ExploreincorporatingnewparkingareasasidentifiedinSection7.0toprovideconnectivity to the downtown.

2. Architecture - Many buildings are not architecturally pleasing, requiring various façade improvements.

3. Walkways - Need to be more inviting, incorporating better lighting, plantings, pavers, sig-nage etc.

4. Businesses - The issue of vacant stores and storefronts needs to be addressed.

5. New Development - Any new redevelopment plan should concentrate on providing a pleasurable atmosphere for pedestrians to move about town from one area to another.

6. Signage – Signs about town need to be more in compliance with current development regulations.

5.3 Recommendations

• Continue efforts to create an interesting, safe, varied and aesthetically pleasing walking thoroughfareaboutthedowntownbusinessdistrictwithfoottrafficconnectivitytothemarina and surrounding neighborhoods.

SECTION 5 | STREETSCAPE


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• Bring in an architect(s) to provide simple ideas to enhance exterior appearance of older, unattractive buildings by incorporating new facades, moldings, windows, etc. in keeping with Belmar’s seaport and Victorian character. This was accomplished in the Borough of Red Bank with great success.

• Seekandencourageavarietyofstores,shops,professionalofficesanddiningtomakethedowntown a regular destination year round. These may include antique shops, bookstores, etc.Allowprofessionalestablishmentsonthegroundfloorofbuildings.

• Incorporate “Pocket Parks” adjacent to alleyways and vacant spaces with park benches, shrubs and artwork. By way of example; the small area between Belmar Paints and 507 Main, and others.

• Provide park benches and seating areas along Main Street to encourage shopping. Also provide trash and recycling receptacles, and more bike racks.

• Provide additional parking wherever it can be incorporated. See Parking Recommendation under Section 7.2 of this Report

• Continue the project of burying all overhead electrical lines begun in the south end of Main Street

• Provide pavers throughout the entire downtown shopping area.• Provide attractive walkways to and from parking areas, the Marina, and residential

neighborhoods.• Incorporate various types of lighting about the downtown to accent pathways, seating areas,

landscaped areas, walkways, buildings, etc.• Main Street and the entire downtown require more

greenery and landscaping. Suggest trees that have a faster growing time and / or planters that can hold trees or other shrubbery.



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• Encouragepottedflowersalongdowntownwalkways.Encouragestoreownerstoincorporateflowerwindowboxesduringspring,summerandearlyfall.

• Encourage more awnings and attractive store front windows (Mayor’s Award?).• Owners of vacant buildings should be legally forced to bring their building into compliance

with current codes to attract new business. Advertise vacant store real estate in other towns (i.e. BBP Link on Belmar.com).

• Establish guidelines for vacant space in town (window treatments, façade in good condition)• Highly suggest incorporating art work (sculptures, murals, etc.) along walkways, pedestrian

intersections; utilizing a common theme throughout.• Encourage Business owners, where applicable, to include their business sign as part of the

Streetscape.



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6.1 Objectives

Todefineimpedimentswithintheexistingordinanceandmodifyoreliminatetheseimpediments;along with streamlining the approval process for Redevelopment applications.


1. The existing Redevelopment plan is confusing “at best” and lacks any clarity as to the Boro’s primary objectives for redevelopment along Main Street. The ordinance was re-written with GaleCorporations’projectsinmindandhasstrayedfrombeingamasterplan.Thesitespecificzoning criteria no longer allow for a comprehensive or cohesive plan and the criteria cannot be applied universally throughout the redevelopment zone.

2.Theordinanceshouldoutlineaclearlydefinedpathwayforallredevelopmentapplications.

3. Parking criteria should be outlined in the ordinance. Currently there are inconsistencies inrecentlyapprovedapplicationsandtheordinancehasnospecificcriteriaforeveryredevelopment application to comply.

4. Tax abatements are recognized as a useful tool in promoting redevelopment; the current ordinance doesn’t address this matter at all.

6.3 Recommendations

1. Simplify the design standards ThecurrentordinanceessentiallydefinedthevariousGaleprojectsfrom6yearsago.Thepermitteduses,bulkrequirements(definitionofheight,setbacksandstepbacks,density,etc.)areconfusingatbestandverydifficulttoactuallycreateadesignthatcomplies.TheAdvisoryBoard’sdiscussions were about redrafting an ordinance that used generally accepted redevelopment practicesanddesignswithlessspecificsforeach“parcelofdevelopment”andapplyingmoregeneral design requirements that allows for creative designs that meet generally accepted planning and design criteria.

2. Communication, Communication, Communication Provideapamphletoftimeline,checklist,flowchartoftheapprovalprocessofanapplicationtobetter communicate between the Boro and the applicant.

3. Streamline and clarify the exact procedures for a redevelopment application. Allow for an informal & expedited review process for conceptual development with Mayor, council & TDRC.

4. The Boro should appoint a redevelopment “Liason” as the “go to” person within Boro Hall. That person should be well versed on the ordinance requirements and the approval process and they should be able to expedite questions addressed to the Boro administration/mayor & council and assist in expediting the application, planning and review process of any application. Additionally, the Boro should cross train employees to at least have a general knowledge of the redevelopment ordinance and the application process. It’s quite common to get dismissed at Boro hall because the appropriate party isn’t available to answer or help.

SECTION 6 | IMPEDIMENTS IN THE EXISTING ORDINANCES


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5.Addanadministrativestaffmembertotheconstruction/zoningofficetoassistintheapplication and review process. The current part-time construction dept does an excellent job accommodating inspection requests; but the building dept needs to be expanded with “regular hours” for plan review and handling of the administrative requirements for any redevelopment application to be expedited.

6. Parking Criteria The ordinance must incorporate a master plan to address the parking needs of our future downtown growth. Currently individual applications are reviewed and approved as almost a random act with inconsistencies in each application. Every applicant should comply with the design criteria to accommodate their parking; or contribute to a fund established by the Boro for future parking needs.

7. Tax Abatements TheBoroshouldincorporateaspecificsectionintheordinancetoaddresstaxabatementstopromote rehab of existing structures and/ or promote redevelopment applications. Currently the existing ordinance doesn’t address Tax Abatements.

The Boro should make every effort to minimize the costs for all redevelopment applications. Currently the redevelopment attorney collects a fee of $10,000 for the same “boiler plate” RDA and FA documents. Additionally, the Boro collects an “improvement” fee from every application; buttheordinancedoesn’tclearlydefinethecalculationsorthepurposeofthisfee.

SECTION 6 | IMPEDIMENTS IN THE EXISTING ORDINANCES

Narrow cross section and parking make it difficult to drive faster than 15 mph on this Lambertville, New Jersey, Main Street. Photo by Gary Toth


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7.1 Objectives

Identify short term solutions to maximize available parking in the downtown area to be imple-mented while we await additional business occupancy to enable potential long term solutions.


There is wide misuse of parking within the borough– poor striping, empty lots; parking areas are notpublicized/insufficientsignage.Additionallycertainareasarestrainedbycurrentparkingdefi-ciencies that will only be exacerbated when recent projects that have been approved by the Bor-ough are constructed. Through creative planning opportunities for additional parking are available.

7.2 Recommendations

SHORT TERM SURFACE AREA PARKING:1. Close 6th Avenue between Main Street & Railroad to create additional parking and park like

setting at entrance to Borough Hall A. This will enlarge the current lot behind the Municipal building. B. This will also provide for a second meeting area in the Borough to complement Pyanoe

Plazathatwillbefurtherawaytoalloweventstobeheldwithoutcreatingadeficitinthemain commercial corridor

C. Dedicated parking for the Paint store and Garden Spot may be required D. This will help offset some of anticipated parking demand associated with future

development of the Icehouse

SECTION 7 | PARKINGSECTION 7 | PARKING

Interactive Art Installations


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2. Incorporate diagonal parking along Main Street on one side A. This will provide additional parking along the Main street corridor 1. Potentially 25% or greater increase in parking availability B Belmar’s Main Street is wider than the Spring Lake Main Street so there will be slightly

more room for circulation 1.ThiswillslowtrafficdownalongMainStreet 2. May result in less friendly bicycle travel3. Restripe parking behind 10th Ave Burrito & remainder of Belmar Plaza to make more consumer

friendly A. Address outdoor storage and refuse collection elements B. Add angled or parallel spaces along 8th Ave on street next to outside bar and expand on

parking on westbound 8th Ave heading towards Route 35.4. Incorporate diagonal parking on east side of Doughboy park A.ThiswouldprovideparkingforoverflowfortheMarinaorthenewbuildingontheIce

House Property. B. Would involve moving the curb, sidewalk.and potentially some trees5. Creating alleyways for blocks east of Main Street between 5th-14th Avenue similar to what was

done at Stay Gold and Rite Aid properties between 8th & 9th Avenues A.Willrequireallpropertyownersonthatstreettoagreetomodification B.WillreducetrafficalongMainStreet C. Reduces curb cuts to Main Street thereby increasing parking available D. Creates an improved streetscape

SECTION 7 | PARKING

Better Block Philly created a series of tempo-rary street changes to demonstrate the value of reallocating street capacity for all uses. Here a parklet was created. Photo by Gary Toth


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6. Coordinate with Bank of America to provide for additional parking.7. Meter parking at the Marina A.Currentlythereisanabundanceoffisherman/boatersthatdonotcarpoolandutilize

parking spaces for extended periods of time 1. Possible validation system for parking discounts 2. Promote carpooling to reduce parking impact B. Using the South Marina lot as a valet lot for Main Street restaurants and Pier 9 through a

lease agreement.8. Parking head on/diagonal along the walkway at the Marina in place of parallel spaces A.Mayrequiremodificationtocurblineonothersideofdriveaisleinsomeplaces

LONG TERM PARKING SUGGESTIONS:1. Construct a parking garage A. Primary spot would where the Elks Bldg./Arts Council Lot behind Boro hall. 1. Need to establish funding a. All developers/property owners that do not meet borough ordinance

would need to pay into fund B. Secondary location could be adjacent to Family Dollar by train station 1. Would likely need to coordinate with owner of Belmar Plaza to provide additional

site yield by allowing increased building height for residential2. Changing the light pattern at 8th & 10th Avenue to make it easier to cross on the highway. A.Changestreetscapeat8th&10thAvenuesatRoute35toslowtraffic. B. An overpass be built at 10th Avenue to encourage parking at the marina.3. Meter parking along Main Street A. Can provide free time pass (20 min – 1 hour) every time you hit button to promote

short term shopping and to prevent long term parking in commercial area

SECTION 7 | PARKING


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8.1 Recommendations

1. Pictures help people envision any plans and that sketches should be kept “loose” early in order to allow for changes and “buy-in” from those concerned

2. “Taming the highway” (crossing Rte 35). Look for funding for a mobility plan/mobility study for 8th Ave. & 10th Ave..

3. Talk to DOT. Study how people move about town. It may be possible to get the Department of Transportation to provide funding for necessary studies. Incentive grants do exist although they might not be as available as they once were.

4. Questions that need to be considered in forming a plan are:

A. How does the town grow? and how do we want it to grow?

B. We don’t want to grow more than we can support.

SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE:

1. The sidewalks (i.e. pavement) should not be more interesting than the storefronts.

2. Start with the little things, such as painting. (parking stripes, buildings, etc.)

3. don’t have blank walls;

4. Get the demand, get the people in Belmar and then worry about the parking (parking garages)

SECTION 8 | OVERALL FINDINGS


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City Comforts by David Sucher,

Placemaking Main Street into a Destination Downtown by Gary Toth and Fred Kent Main Street Now Magazine, Fall-2014

Walkability is Good for You http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/12/growing-evidence-shows-walkability-is-good-for-you-and-for-cities/383612/

SECTION 9 | APPENDIX

Placemaking Main Street into a Destination Downtown By Project for Public Spaces on Dec 4, 2014

This article, written by Gary Toth and Fred Kent of PPS, originally appeared in the 35th anniversa-ry edition of Main Street Now, the Journal of the National Main Street Center. You can view the original (and more) in their digital copy here.

The traditional Main Street is one of the most iconic images of America. With its unique blend of housing, retail, and civic uses, Main Street served as the social and commercial hub of communities until World War II. Since then, suburban development favoring shopping malls and single-use zoning have driven resources away from these vital places. Furthermore, the devaluing of places due to the 20th century obsession with tuning streets for high speed mobility has also taken its toll. Not onlyisfast-movingtrafficlesslikelytostop,butspeedkillsastreet’ssenseofplaceanddiminishesits value for all users.

Thankfully, today various organizations and communities are working to restore the historic func-tions of main streets and reestablish them as the centers of towns and cities. Many have achieved success by using the Main Street Approach, a unique tool that combines organization, promotion, design, and economic restructuring to help build a complete revitalization effort. Collectively, these tools are called the Four Point Approach and have done much to reverse damage created by the firstwaveofcompetitionforMainStreets:theriseofthesuburbanmall.

Main Streets are now facing a second wave of competition: online shopping. The ability to “window shop” from the comfort of one’s home has created an all new challenge; but, in this case, Main Street has an advantage over malls: the power to create Place. Increasingly, as electronic commu-nication has made it possible to live anywhere and still connect with others, the freedom to work and play apart has increased the sense of isolation and the craving for new ways of interacting sociallyandmeetinginformally.MainStreetisfarbetterpositionedtofulfillthatburgeoningneedthan malls. Being geographically positioned within walking distance of neighborhoods, Main Streets are suited perfectly to evolve, via Placemaking, into the great destinations of the 21st century.

HOW CAN PLACEMAKING HELP RESTORE MAIN STREETS TO THE FOREFRONT IN THE 21ST CENTURY?

“Placemaking”providesapowerfulsetoftoolsforchange.Notanewprofession,discipline,orfieldof study, Placemaking brings out the best of professional knowledge and skills while supporting a participatory process that challenges and empowers local communities to take ownership over the planning process. Disciplines will no longer be working in silos but instead subjugating their expertise to the larger goal of creating great Main Streets.

Stakeholder buy-in will be quicker and more sustainable. Thanks to their informality and simplic-ity, Placemaking tools such as the Power of Ten; Walking and Street Audits; and Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper will extend the reach and simplify conversations about a project enough to allow every-one to contribute, not just the experts and a few businesses.


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These tools involve everyone directly in determining the scope and shaping the preliminary design process in informal settings, as citizens work side by side with subject matter experts. Formal roles arenotpredefinedbutemergethroughouttheprocess,whichismanagedtoensureparticipationby all. Everyone will participate in creating Main Street goals in ways that move them from passive supporters to active project advocates. What results will be a richer more livable plan since it goes beyond the “three D’s” (density, design, and diversity of uses) of modern smart growth planning and the Four Points of the Main Street Approach.

THE POWER OF TEN.

In a nutshell, the Power of Ten means that people will be attracted to Main Streets where there are lots of things to do. The Power of Ten (POT aka Placemapping) process will engage stakehold-ers to assess the assets and liabilities (i.e., underperforming places) of Main Street. Rather than have experts bring formulae in from other towns, Placemapping will allow local stakeholders to identify thebest,worst,andhighestopportunityplacesandhelpthemfigureouthowtomakesubstantivephysical and social connections between existing spaces, how to strategically create new places, and how to harness the energy that can be generated through building a network of destinations.

Walking and street audits can also be conducted to diagnose places along Main Street and create a wish list of desired future change. Any potential future changes can be tested out via Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper (LQC) strategies. LQC provides a visual representation of what an appropriate street, sidewalk, or building wall change can look like. It can also demonstrate how street changes wouldaffectflow,notonlyforcars,butalsoforpedestrians,cyclists,andtransit,aswellasshowthebenefits(ordetriments)tosidewalkandshoppingactivity.Thetangibilityofdoingthisinreallife,asopposedtosimplydoingatrafficstudy,isimportantfordevelopingcommunitybuy-in.

WHICH PLACEMAKING CONCEPTS CAN BE APPLIED TO MAIN STREETS? CREATING MULTI-USE DESTINATIONS

“It’sdifficulttodesignaspacethatwon’tattractpeople.Whatisremarkableishowoftenthisisaccomplished.”

– William H. Whyte

We know that the more uses public spaces can accommodate, the more successful they will be-come as community gathering places. Simply stated, the more varied the uses, the more varied the audience becomes. But still we are designing and managing too many places that have only a single purpose—whether it is a park, a square, or a street. All too often, uses and people don’t mix. As our communities become more diverse and populous, we will not only need more public spaces; we will need places where people of different backgrounds feel comfortable coming together. How can we promote more of the right kind of design, management, and investment to create multi-use public spaces and places?


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MARKET CITIES AND LOCAL ECONOMIES

“ When you want to seed a place with activity, put out food.”


Historically, cities grew around their marketplaces—bustling centers of commerce and activity. As communities grew, they became market cities. At the National Main Streets Conference in De-troit, we talked about the need to expand the Placemaking conversation to more than traditional farmers markets and public markets—to encompass all types of districts that seed local economies while creating great gathering places. Markets are great catalysts for the creation of and organic growth of such places. The growth of farmers markets in the U.S. (now more than 7,000) offer the raw material for a broader rebirth of local economies and places. There is new interest in all things local. How can we take advantage of these trends to advance local places and economies?

ARCHITECTURE OF PLACE/COMMUNITY ANCHORS

“ What attracts people most, it would appear, is other people.”


Placemakingbringsnewwaysofredefiningthenatureandfunctionoflibraries,artandculturalinstitutions, city halls, and other institutions. Indeed, there are an increasing number of innovative examples of individual institutions that are becoming multi purpose “community anchors,” not just iconic design statements. How can we encourage more building owners (whether institutions, corporations, developers, or governments) and their designers to promote an “architecture of place”—creatingplace-supportivedesignthatalsoredefinesthepublicgatheringrolestheseinsti-tutions play in communities?

STREETS AS PUBLIC SPACES

While streets are the most fundamental public spaces in communities, they may also be the most conflictedandunderrecognized.“StreetsasPublicSpaces”ispremisedontheideathatstreetsshould not simply move people from point A to point B, but must add value to the community along the way. Streets can no longer be viewed simply as arteries for conveying cars; even “Com-plete Streets” may not be complete enough. Great streets build communities as well as provide ways of connecting other great places. This is what links communities of all sizes together. As we gather in Pittsburgh prior to a major conference on walking and biking, how can we move commu-nities to this broader vision of streets and transportation investments?

PRINCIPLES FOR FOSTERING MAIN STREETS AS PUBLIC SPACES

RULE ONE: DESIGN FOR APPROPRIATE SPEEDS

Streetsneedtobedesignedinawaythatinducestrafficspeedsappropriateforthatparticularcontext. Whereas freeways should retain high-speeds to accommodate regional mobility, speeds onotherroadsneedtoreflectthattheyareplacesforpeople,notjustconduitsforcars.Desiredspeeds can be attained with a number of design strategies, including changes in roadway widths, curvature, and intersection design. Of course, Placemaking is a big part of the success; and roadside


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strategies, like building setbacks and sidewalk activity, can also affect the speed at which motorists comfortably drive.

Speed kills sense of place. City and town centers are destinations, not raceways, and commerce needstraffic—foottraffic.Youcannotbuyadressfromacar.Evenfoottrafficspeedsupinthepresence of fast moving vehicles. Access, not automobiles, should be the priority in city centers. Don’tbancars,butremovethepresumptionintheirfavor.Peoplefirst!

RULE TWO: PLAN FOR COMMUNITY OUTCOMES

Citiesandtownsneedfirsttoenvisionthekindsofplacesandinteractionstheywanttosupportand then plan a transportation system consistent with this collective community vision. Trans-portation is a means for accomplishing important goals—like economic productivity and social engagement—not an end in itself. Less than three months after PPS facilitated a capacity-building workshop in Brunswick, Maine, the community began lighter, quicker and cheaper changes to its Main Street, blocking off a lane with barrels to see how it affected pedestrian and shopping activity andtrafficflow.

Great transportation facilities, such as Grand Central Terminal in New York City and the wide sidewalks of the Champs Elysées, have truly improved the public realm. Designing road projects tofitcommunitycontextscanhelpincreasedevelopableland,createopenspace,andreconnectcommunities to their neighbors, a waterfront, or a park. They can reduce household dependency on the automobile, allowing children to walk to school, connecting neighborhoods to downtowns, and helping build healthier lifestyles by increasing the potential to walk or cycle. Think public bene-fit,notjustprivateconvenience.

For years we’ve seen this philosophy gain traction in leading cities around the world. Barcelona has built boulevards and Ramblas (broad avenues) that give pedestrians priority over the automobile. Parishasdevelopedaneighborhoodtraffic-calmingprogramtorivalthatofanycityanywhere.By charging congestion fees for vehicles entering the city center, London has successfully reduced trafficlevelsandfundedanaggressiveprogramtoimprovetransit.Bogotánowboastsaworld-class rapid transit bus system and has established a mandate to eliminate private auto use during the morning rush hour by 2015. These projects offer strategies that can be used to redesign our transportationnetworkstoreflecttheirtrueimportanceaspublicspacesandmanifestationsofour vision for our towns and cities.

It is also essential to foster landuse planning at the community level that supports, instead of over-loads, the transportation network. This includes creating more attractive places that people will wanttovisitinbothnewandexistingdevelopments.Astrongsenseofplacebenefitstheoveralltransportation system. Great Places—popular spots that have a good mix of people and activi-ties and can be comfortably reached by walking, biking, and perhaps by public transit as well as by car— put little strain on the transportation system. Poor land-use planning, by contrast, generates thousands of unnecessary vehicular trips, creating dysfunctional roads, which further deteriorate the quality of places. Transportation professionals can no longer pretend that land use is not their business. Transportation projects that were not integrated with land-use planning have created too many negative impacts to ignore.


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RULE THREE: THINK OF STREETS AS PUBLIC SPACES

Not so long ago, this idea was considered preposterous in many communities. “Public space” meant parks and little else. Transit stops were simply places to wait. Streets had been surrendered totrafficforsolongthatwehardlyconsideredthempublicspacesatall.Butnowweareslowlymoving away from this narrow perception of “streets as conduits for cars” and beginning to think of “streets as places.”

The road, the parking lot, the transit terminal—they can all serve more than one mode (cars) and more than one purpose (movement). Sidewalks are the urban arterials of cities: make them wide, well lit, and stylish and accommodating with benches, outdoor cafes, and public art. Roads can be shared spaces with pedestrian refuges, bike lanes, and on-street parking. Parking lots can become public markets on weekends. Even major urban arterials can be designed to provide dedicated bus lanes, well-designed bus stops that serve as gathering places, and multi-modal facilities for bus rapid transitorotherformsoftravel.Roadsareplacestoo!Transportation—theprocessoftravelingto a place—can be wonderful if we rethink the idea of transportation itself. If we remember that transportation is the journey, but enhancing the community is the goal.


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Walkability Is Good for You

A slew of new research links walkable neighborhoods with safer, healthier, more democratic places.

RICHARD FLORIDA @Richard_Florida Dec 11, 2014

Ever since Jane Jacobs’ classic The Death and Life of Great American Cities, urbanists have extolled the ideal of the dense, mixed-used, walkable neighborhood, contrasting it with the dull and deadly cul-de-sacs of car-oriented suburbs.

If walkability has long been an “ideal,” a recent slew of studies provide increasingly compelling evidence of the positive effects of walkable neighborhoods on everything from housing values to crime and health, to creativity and more democratic cities.

A key research advance has been the development of the Walk Score metric (we have written about it here before), which provides a baseline measure for walkable communities. Walk Score uses data from Google, OpenStreetMap and the U.S. Census to assign any address a walkability ranking from zero to 100 based on a its pedestrian friendliness and distance to amenities such as grocery stores, restaurants, public transit, and the like.

A growing body of research shows the connection between walkability and housing prices. Earlier this year, economist Christopher Leinberger expanded on his earlier research on “walkable urban places” and found that they have outsize economic impacts. Among the top 30 American metros, these walkable urban places account for one percent of available acreage, but compose as much as 50percentofthecountry’soffice,hotel,apartment,andretailsquarefootage.

ArecentlypublishedstudyinthejournalCitiesusesWalkScoretoreinforcethesefindings.Thestudy, by the University of Louisville’s John Gilderbloom, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo’s William Riggs, and Georgia Regents University’s Wesley Meares, examines the effect of walkability on housing values and foreclosures in the wake of economic crises across 170 Cen-sustractsinLouisville,Kentucky.Itfindsthatwalkabilityisstatisticallysignificantinpredictingneigh-borhoodhousingvalues,andthatitissignificantlyandnegativelycorrelatedwithneighborhoodforeclosures. Between 2000–2006 and 2000–2008, walkability predicated an increase in property values, though the same could not be said of the 2000-2010 period because of the housing col-lapse. Walkable areas also saw fewer foreclosures in the 2004-2008 period, with highly walkable neighborhoods having 11 fewer total foreclosures. Overall, walkability was almost as important as raceininfluencingmedianhousingvaluesandforeclosures.

Gilderbloom et al.’s map of Louisville’s most walkable places. The most walkable census tracts are in black. (Gilderbloom et al.)

Urbanists have long believed that there is a connection between walkability and crime. Jacobs arguedthatwalkable,denserneighborhoodsbenefitedfrom“eyesonthestreet,”orthenaturalsurveillance that occurs in neighborhoods where people are frequently coming and going at all hours of the day. Conversely, criminologists have seen a connection between density, crime, and social pathologies.


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Gilderbloom and his team initially found little overall relationship between walkability and crime. But the connection came to the fore when the researchers controlled for the effects of race. So-ciologists have long noted the connection between concentrated poverty, race, and crime in urban areas. The study found walkability to be associated with decreased property crime, murders, and violent crime in neighborhoods where minorities made up less than half of all residents. The same held for neighborhoods that were 75 percent white.

Other research has examined the connection between walkability and health. Medical research shows that walking can improve health outcomes in everything from heart disease and diabetes to improved mental and cognitive functions. But does living in walkable neighborhoods really confer thesekindsofbenefits?

Thestudyfoundastatisticallysignificantconnectionbetweenwalkabilityandhealth.

A separate, forthcoming study by Riggs and Gilderbloom examined the effects of walkability on health outcomes in Louisville between 2000 and 2010. To get at this, they employed, a metric of “years of potential life lost” per 100,000 residents, which measures the difference between life expectancy and the age at which a resident actually dies.

Theirstudyfoundastatisticallysignificantconnectionbetweenwalkabilityandhealth.Thiseffectwas even greater in the neighborhoods with the highest concentration of minorities and the poor. As they note, “there are true ‘human costs’ to less walkable, livable environment[s].” Not surprising-ly, Riggs and Gilderbloom found health outcomes to be closely associated with both income and race,notingthesignificantnegativerelationshipbetweenincomeandyearsofpotentiallifelost(thepooreryouare,themoreyearsoflifeyou’relosing)andahighlysignificantpositiverelation-ship between non-white residents and increased mortality (if you’re not white, you’re more likely to die early).

Research from the University of Kansas’ Alzheimer’s Disease Center indicates that walkable cities also have positive implications for cognitive health. The study, by psychologist Amber Watts, tracked 25 people with mild Alzheimer’s disease and 39 older adults with cognitive impairment. Watts found that those who lived in areas of higher “integration,” where fewer turns are required to navi-gate the streets, performed worse on baseline cognition tests and were more likely to see declines in attention and verbal memory. Conversely, those who lived in places with higher connectivity, with more paths and streets linked to each address, performed better on initial cognitive tests and saw fewer declines in attention and verbal memory.

A spatial map of integration. The most integrated areas, in red, are those that provide walkers with fewer path options. Watts’ work found associations between highly integrated places and cognition declines in older residents. (Farhana Ferdous, KU Dept. of Architecture).

A spatial map of connectivity. The most highly connected paths, in red, are those that are linked to many streets, giving walkers many path options. Watts’ work found associations between a place’s connectivity and better performance on cognition tests among its older residents. (Farhana Fer-dous, KU Dept. of Architecture)


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“There seems to be a component of a person’s mental representation of the spatial environment, for example, the ability to picture the streets like a mental map,” Watts said in a statement. “Com-plexenvironmentsmayrequiremorecomplexmentalprocessestonavigate.Ourfindingssuggestthat people with neighborhoods that require more mental complexity actually experience less decline in their mental functioning over time.”

Denser, more walkable urban environments have also been said to spur more social interactions of the sort that encourage creativity, as well as higher levels of civic engagement. A forthcoming study by my former Carnegie Mellon student Brian Knudsen of Urban Innovation Analysis, Terry Clark of the University of Chicago, and my colleague Daniel Silver of the University of Toronto examines the connection between walkability, creativity, and civic engagement in the U.S., Canada, and France. The researchers examined the effects of neighborhood density, connectivity, housing, age diversity, and walkability on arts employment and the incidence of what they dub “social movement orga-nizations,” or SMOs. (SMOs include groups advocating for environmental and human rights issues, among others.)

“Walking amidst the arts appears to heighten imaginative openness to new social and political possibilities.”

Theirfindingsarestriking.Walkingisassociatedwithhigherlevelsofartsorganizations,creativity,and civic engagement. In fact, walkability is more closely linked with both the arts and SMOs than variables like density and housing age diversity. “In our results, walking appears as one of most pow-erfuldriversofcreativity,”theresearcherswrite.Theyalsofindthatwalkingenhancestheconnec-tion between creativity and civic engagement:

[W]alking, the arts, and social-movement activism are not only separate processes. They enhance one another. Walking amidst the arts appears to heighten imaginative openness to new social and political possibilities, energizing SMO activity more powerfully than walking on its own. Walking is important, but not all walking is the same, and when it occurs in locales with more arts activity, its impact on SMOs is greater.

Walkability is no longer just an ideal. The evidence from a growing body of research shows that walkable neighborhoods not only raise housing prices but reduce crime, improve health, spur cre-ativity, and encourage more civic engagement in our communities.

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